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The Real Side | Commentary by Joe Messina
| Monday, Dec 16, 2013

joemessinamugThe left is outraged that Megyn Kelly, a right-wing conservative nutjob who works at Fox, shows her ignorance by claiming Santa Claus is white.

Sure, let’s skew history to make the “progressives” feel better. Unfortunately, you can’t change truth just because it makes you feel bad.

A young lady recently wrote a piece describing how Santa, being white, made her feel bad and alienated her from the other kids because she was black. Well, we can’t change the truth, and no matter what, we will never make everyone feel good.

There are many stories about the origin of “Saint Nick.” He might have been a Turkish, Greek or Nordic Bishop Nicholas, a Christian (a bunch of ACLU lawyers’ heads just exploded). Bishop Nicholas later became Saint Nicholas because of the many miracles attributed to him.

The bishop apparently paid the dowry of three young ladies from the same family to keep them from being sold into prostitution and slavery. He also saved three men from being put to death and was known for gift-giving in all forms. After he died on Dec. 6, sometime in the 300s A.D., a tradition of gift-giving started in celebration of his life.

Kids would put their cleaned-out shoes by their beds at night to see what Saint Nick had brought them that night.

Saint Nick and the gift-giving went through many gyrations over the years, but the transformation from Saint Nick to Santa Claus, his large size, red suit and red cheeks didn’t happen until he came to America. The legend we know today, and all that goes with it, has been piled on by retailers over the years.

The reality is that the man who was Santa was white. And if he was actually from Turkey, he might have had olive -colored skin.

A young child feels bad because she is black and Santa is white? Who taught her that white people can’t or don’t love blacks, Asians, brown skin or whatever term you want to use? What a great way to keep racism alive in America. To borrow a phrase from another well-known Joe, “What a bunch of malarkey.”

Yes, Virginia, Santa is most probably white. And guess what? He delivers presents to kids of all colors, sizes, shapes and languages, in all countries and of all faiths. Yes, believe it or not, Christians aren’t the only ones who celebrate Christmas. Yes, Virginia, he loves all kids and all peoples.

Progressives, get over yourselves and stop spreading division.

Now, as for Jesus Christ, that’s another issue. Jesus is neither black nor white. He probably had deep, olive-colored skin. Jesus was a Jew, and in His day the Jews in that area were not quite brown, not quite white. But, He was not black. And what does His skin color matter anyway?

When it comes to Christ, He came for all. Color doesn’t matter, size doesn’t matter, IQ doesn’t matter. He came to save all. He loves all. What have we done to our children when the thing that bothers them the most is the skin color of a “role model” or “famous” person?

What’s next? The Easter Bunny? The Great Pumpkin? Can we please lighten up and help our kids understand that not everything that’s uncomfortable is bad? Pull the good from the situation and enjoy it.

Guess what, Virginia? If you have to have a black-skinned role model, you have many to choose from. Ask your mommy and daddy to sit on the couch and show them to you. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington and Colin Powell, to name a few.

Yes, Virginia, Santa is most likely white, and it’s OK because skin color is not what matters. The love, the sharing and the joy that this Christmas season brings is what matters. And that comes in all colors.

 

 

Joe Messina is host of The Real Side (TheRealSide.com), a nationally syndicated talk show that runs on AM-1220 KHTS radio and SCVTV [here]. He is also the current president of the Hart School Board. His commentary publishes Mondays.

 

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5 Comments

  1. George says:

    Jesus was not white…how do I know? If people are racist today, they were even more racist 1,000 years ago…had Jesus been white, the Bible translators would have trumpeted it in the Bible we use today. Most likely, they removed any mention of his skin color even if it was in the original gospel because, they would never have been able to convert pagan Europe to Christianity if they went around saying that Jesus was not white.

  2. Marilyn Boron says:

    Color didn’t count much then, but Roman Power did
    to those they conquered. Ethiopians, who are dark
    skinned, were not looked down upon either, and one
    rode in a royal carriage while traveling in Israel. Every Season seems to have its discrimination subject; right now it is the words
    MERRY CHRISTMAS! Just whose idea is that?

  3. Henry says:

    Santa Claus has no country. He’s a fictional character and St. Nicholas was only one of the theoretical contributors of his personality. St Nicholas was not Santa as we know him today. So again, Megyn Kelly apologists, please stop trying to define with certitude what skin color a made up guy should be. It’s not that he isn’t white, because obviously he is. The point is that he “can be” black and any other color we want to envision him. He’s a concept. He’s an idea of goodness and generosity that should not be considered the exclusively the domain of “whiteness”.

  4. Henry says:

    BTW Joe,

    Why is it so important to you that neither Santa nor Jesus ever be considered black? Is it really about historical accuracy? You acknowledged rightly that their race really didn’t matter only after assuring yourself and everyone else that neither could be black. Santa is a fictional character so he can be portrayed any way anyone wants(see Battlestar Galactica: I thought Starbuck worked well as a woman). I agree that Jesus’ color is irrelevant. It would not change my beliefs if it were revealed that he was definitely white. I think that is the point of this discussion; would it effect the beliefs of some white people (FOX news watchers) if they found out that Jesus was definitively black?

  5. Dave says:

    I don’t think “the left” is outraged as much as they are just totally amused by Mygen Kelly’s ill advised commentary. Interesting that she’s now trying to make the claim that “Humor is a part of what we try to bring to this show, but sometimes that’s lost on the humorless,” Funny but I’ve always viewed what little I’ve seen on Fox News as humor. http://www.deadline.com/2013/12/fncs-megyn-kelly-to-return-to-show-address-santa-clausjesus-controversy-tonight-video/

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